Court Rulings
Appellate Division Approves Suit By Comp Carrier Against Third Party Tortfeasor Even Where Injured Worker Had A Verbal Threshold Policy
Automobile insurance carriers should expect an uptick in workers compensation carrier subrogation claims for medical expenses and temporary disability benefits, regardless of whether the injured worker was subject to the verbal threshold in his/her personal automobile policy based upon the recent published Appellate Division decision in New Jersey Transit Corporation v. Sandra Sanchez, A-0761-17T3 (App. […]
Appellate Division Reverses Order Denying Motion to Dismiss NJCRA Claims against New Jersey DEP Employees on the Basis of Qualified Immunity
By: Benjamin H. Zieman, Esq. Edited by: Betsy G. Ramos, Esq. In the recent precedential opinion of Radiation Data, Inc. v. N.J. Dep’t of Envtl. Prot., 2018 N.J. Super. LEXIS 149 (App. Div. Nov. 2, 2018), the Appellate Division highlighted the importance of resolving a public employee’s assertion of qualified immunity on a motion to […]
Court Finds Insurance Company Properly Cancelled Policy of Insurance for Non-Payment of Premiums
Selective Insurance Company (“Selective”) was sued by the plaintiffs Car Craft Auto Corp. and the Estate of Jesus Santiago t/a Car Craft Auto due to Selective’s cancellation of Jesus Santiago’s (“Santiago”) commercial insurance policy. Santiago had been insured from February 19, 2011 through February 19, 2012. Selective prepared and sent to Santiago an invoice for […]
Court Refuses to Apply Relation Back Rule to Permit Amended Pleading Filed Beyond Statute of Limitations
Plaintiff Michael Martin was employed by Gary F. Gardner, Inc. to perform inspections and correct punch list items at an assisted living facility that was under construction. He filed suit against Gary F. Gardner and “John Doe’s (1-4)” just prior to the expiration of the statute of limitations. In Martin v. Conifer-LeChase Construction, LLC, 2017 […]
Wear and Tear Homeowner’s Policy Exclusion Upheld by Court to Bar Property Damage Claim to Pool
Plaintiffs Richard and Vicki Klein filed a claim with Defendant Franklin Mutual Insurance Co. (“FMI”) due to damage to their in-ground pool. Plaintiffs claimed that the damage was caused by a rotted tree branch from a neighbor’s property which fell into their pool. The defendant disputed the cause of the damage, contending that it was […]
Tenant’s Personal Injury Claim against Property Manager Dismissed
Plaintiff Diedre Bradley resided in an apartment building in East Orange that was managed by Defendant Dynamic Capital Property (“Dynamic”). On January 16, 2012, Plaintiff suffered an injury when she tripped and fell due to a crack on the marble stairs in the common area of the building. In Bradley v. Dynamic Capital Property, 2017 […]
Failure to File Timely Tort Claims Act Notice Should Not Bar Suit Against Municipality for Injuries Due to Chemical Vapors Based Upon Discovery Rule
Plaintiffs Edan and Edna Ben Elazar alleged that they suffered various personal injuries due to chemical vapors that infiltrated their electronics repair shop. The chemicals emanated from leaking underground storage tanks that belonged to the dry cleaner next door to the plaintiff’s shop but were buried in adjoining municipal property with the Township’s permission. In […]
Statute of Limitations in Construction Defect Case Accrues When Original or Subsequent Owners Knew of Basis or Should Have Known of Basis For Claim
In a recent New Jersey Supreme Court case, The Palisades at Fort Lee Condominium Association, Inc. v. 100 Old Palisade, LLC, 2017 N.J. LEXIS 845 (2017), the Court was asked to rule on when the statute of limitations accrued in a construction defect property damage case. The plaintiff Association filed suit against the general contractor […]
Personal Injury Claim Barred by Charitable Immunity Defense
Plaintiff Sabrina Losada filed suit against Princeton University and the Princeton Tigers Aquatic Club (“PTAC”) for injuries she suffered while attending her daughter’s swim meet. She claimed that she fell in a depression next to a walkway adjacent to the Princeton University building where the pool was located. In Losada v. Princeton University, 2017 N.J. […]
Defendant Barred from Suing Public Entity Due to Failure to File Timely Tort Claims Act Notice
On July 27, 2017, the New Jersey Supreme Court decided important issues concerning the ability of a defendant to sue a public entity in a third party claim. In the case of Twanda Jones v. Morey’s Pier, 2017 N.J. LEXIS 812 (July 27, 2017), the Supreme Court decided that a defendant is barred from asserting […]
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